Sibylline Insight Podcast

US-Russia Tensions

Liana Semchuk, Lead Analyst for Europe & Eurasia, and James Barth, Analyst for North America, join Director for Sibylline EMEA Jonathan Dunbar, to discuss tensions between the US and Russia increasing since Joe Biden became president of the United States. The risk of US sanctions against Russia expanding remains elevated in the months ahead as bipartisan pressure on Biden to take a tougher stance on Russia mounts. However, Washington may be forced to make compromises on its Russia stance concerning key infrastructural projects such as Nord Stream 2 as the Biden administration seeks to mend ties with Europe, particularly Germany. Further strains to the US / EU-Russia relationship will also come from Covid-19 vaccine disinformation allegations, cyber threats, and Washington's promotion of democracy in Eastern Europe.

Saudi-US relations and the wider impact of intelligence report on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi

This week’s podcast focuses on the recently declassified U.S. intelligence report confirming that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Eloise Scott, analyst for Middle East & North Africa, and Phil Riding, Lead Analyst for Middle East and Africa, join Director for Sibylline Americas Greg Hoobler, to discuss the implications of the report for Western and regional governments dealing with Saudi Arabia, as well as the outlook for Western business operations in the Kingdom.

Myanmar post-coup political and security landscape and regional implications

This week’s podcast is hosted by Insight Team Manager Edward Johnson, featuring Dr Guo Yu, Lead ASPAC Analyst, and Aédán Mordecai, Asia-Pacific Analyst. Together they unpack Myanmar's post-coup political and security risk landscape, as well as the event's implications to the wider region. As tensions continue to escalate driven by the deaths of three protesters last weekend and the appearance of a security force crackdown, the risk of violence and further unrest persists. The outlook, for what was previously considered a fledgling democratic state with untapped investment potential, is increasingly ominous.

Sino-Australian Relations and the Risk of Arbitrary Detention in China

In this week’s podcast Sibylline’s Deputy Insight Manager Amy Reynolds is joined by Dr Guo Yu, Lead ASPAC Analyst, and Aédán Mordecai, Asia-Pacific Analyst. Together they analyse the consequences of Beijing charging Chinese-born Australian journalist Cheng Lei with supplying state secrets overseas. The former presenter of the Chinese state-run English-language channel CGTN was first detained in August 2020. Cheng's detention and subsequent criminal charges are framed against the backdrop of a deepening fracture in China-Australia relations. Cheng's arrest, together with a number of other foreign nationals currently under detention, has raised concerns about the risk of politicised justice for employees of foreign entities operating in China.

Brazil - Impeachment and Cabinet Tensions

In this week's podcast, Sibylline’s Americas Director Greg Hoobler is joined by Konrad Petraitis, embedded intelligence analyst. Their conversation touches on recent speculation surrounding President Bolsonaro's impeachment, followed by an overview of the challenges ahead of the country's general election and possible cabinet infighting that might upset markets.

EU Vaccine Distribution Setbacks

Sibylline’s EMEA Director Jonathan Dunbar is joined by John Breen, Lead Analyst of the Global Risk Team (GRT), and James Hannan, a GRT Analyst, for a discussion on vaccine distribution challenges in Europe. Their conversation unpacks the recent EU vaccine export row with the UK and how it amplified political tensions in Northern Ireland, followed by an overview of the logistical challenges facing European and global immunisation efforts and the disruptions this could have for business operations.

China-India Border Tensions

Sibylline’s Americas Director Greg Hoobler is joined by Guo Yu, PhD, Lead Analyst for Asia-Pacific, and Aédán Mordecai, Asia-Pacific Analyst, for a discussion on the recent clash between Chinese and Indian troops over disputed border areas in northern Sikkim. Their conversation addresses conflicting accounts between official statements and media reports, and the potential impact to business operations.

The Gulf in 2021: opportunities and risks

Sibylline’s EMEA Director Jonathan Dunbar is joined by Philip Riding, MEA Lead Analyst and Eloise Scott, Middle East Analyst, to discuss the recent developments in the Gulf and how deeper formal ties with Israel and reconciliation in the Qatar blockade provide opportunities for businesses in the region in 2021. They also examine the more notable improvements in the business environment which will be tempered by ongoing Covid-19 disruption, deep-rooted ideological differences, and potential fallout between the new US administration's policies towards, and the trajectory of its relations with, Iran.

Insurrection, Impeachment, and International Implications… and Insightful Discussion on U.S. Politics

Sibylline Americas Director Greg Hoobler is joined by James Barth, North America Analyst, Liana Semchuk, Lead Analyst for Europe, and Hugo Yu, Lead Analyst for Asia-Pacific, for a discussion based on events and implications associated with the right-wing insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6. This discussion will include important considerations from both the US domestic perspective and international eyes.

Disinformation Misinformation Part 2

Join our host Justin Crump, Sibylline’s CEO, for the second half of the Disinformation Misinformation Podcast. This week, Justin is joined by organisational psychologist, speaker and author Dr Nicole Lipkin. Dr Lipkin is the CEO of Equilibria Leadership Consulting & Equilibria and the Founder of the Young Leader Project & HeyKiddo™.

 

In this episode Dr Lipkin and Justin discuss conspiracy theories, biases, and perceptions, looking at their effect on our society, beliefs, and behaviours. They also discuss the need for critical thinking to cut through the noise and sniff out the truth. But is this skill, clearly so important for analysts, something we are generally losing...?